Kumasi's "Love Island USA" Moment Sparkles, Unpacks Colorism's Shady Side!
Get ready for the most lit discussion of the year! Recently, Kuman Dameon Chandler (that's KC to you) and Aniya Harvey went on a convo that got everyone talking – especially dark-skinned Black women like yours truly. See, while they were chillin', Chandler dropped some knowledge: "I feel darker-skinned women get the shorter end of the stick, and they try to put a negative connotation on you guys." Yaaas, KC! You're preachin'!
For a hot second, Chandler's words empowered those dark-skinned Black women who've been dealing with colorism for ages. He's all about embracing melanin and spreading love – "Embrace it because you're the blueprint," he told Harvey as she teared up. Girl, I can feel her pain!
Now, let's get real – when people think darker-skinned women are somehow less valuable, it's a slippery slope to mistreatment. Childhood bullying? Check. Hiring biases as an adult? You bet. Medical stigmatization? Uh-huh! It's like, "Hey, I'm just as good as anyone else, but you're gonna treat me like dirt because of my skin tone?" No thanks!
Fast forward to social media – people started sharing their own colorism stories from childhood or adulthood. Yours truly always knew that connotations came with the territory (or shade, heh heh). Growing up, I was often the darkest one in the room. My mom would beam with pride whenever she'd spot me at school events or dance recitals – "I spotted my little chocolate chip from across the room!" Yeah, no kidding!
But when you're hard-pressed to find your foundation shade or see women like you in starring roles on TV and movies... it's like, what's the message? That we're less valuable as women with darker skin tones? The idea that dark-skinned women are somehow inferior can lead to a lifetime of mistreatment. It's like, "Hey, I'm just as good as anyone else, but you're gonna treat me like dirt because of my skin tone?" No thanks!
Colorism – it's like racism's lesser-known sibling. Few people know what it means or that there's psychology behind it. So, they might not pinpoint it exactly... or identify it as bad. Much of the conversation surrounding dark skin can be subtle – embedded in our society and surfacing in insidious ways, like who gets chosen for a Hollywood role or picked first on a dating show.
"Love Island" has had its share of racism controversies – remember that third contestant with the racial slur? But hey, it's also changing the colorism conversation! And let's give it up to former "Love Island USA" contestant Olandria Carthen – she's killing the game as a dark-skinned beauty icon, modeling, influencing, and collaborating with brands. That girl is redefining what it means to be beautiful!
The more we reframe our thoughts around darker skin tones, the more it destroys that damaging narrative about dark-skinned Black women being unattractive or less desirable and valuable. For generations to come, kids will have some awareness of their skin – it's our job to make sure it's a positive one.
Written by: Spleenis and Buttfed | The Citizen Edition
“Huh huh, yeah!”